Should You Watch Star Wars in a Particular Order?

Whether you’re a Star Wars fan or are just getting into it, there are many recommendations for watching the famed series. Thanks to today’s on-demand streaming services, you’ve got access to all the Star Wars flicks, so you can access them on the go. 

But if you need a recommendation on where to start, Jason Cohen, in a 2024 feature for PC Mag, suggests a few different ways to watch Star Wars: by theatrical release, chronological order, or machete style (1).

If you want to watch in the order of release, you can follow this watch list: “Episode IV: A New Hope,” “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,” “Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” “Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” “Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” Rogue One (optional), “Episode VIII: The Last Jedi,” Solo (optional), and “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.” The theatrical release order is how the movies were shown and what creator George Lucas intended. It starts with the original trilogy and then returns to the prequel movies before finishing with Disney’s sequel films.

On the other hand, the chronological order is more of a fun experiment for longtime fans to see the series from a new perspective since it can reveal a lot of plot spoilers. Chronological Star Wars follows this timeline: Parts 1, 2, 3, Solo (optional), Rogue One (optional), 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

If you’ve already seen the series in release order and chronologically, machete-style plays around with the series, showing flashbacks and projections in the form of flicks. This follows this pecking order: Parts 4, 5, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1 (optional), Solo (optional), and Rogue One (optional).

Star Wars: A Fairytale with a Global Appeal

Other worlds, strange planets, and alien races are among the main reasons Star Wars appeals to fans. 

In a 2024 feature for The Mass Media, Kyle’s Mykkas explains the series’ appeal by highlighting its fairytale elements (2). He describes it as a story where “a boy goes on a quest to rescue a princess,” tapping into our desire for simplicity and escapism from the complexities and existential threats of our everyday lives. 

Star Wars isn't just a simple story; it’s a blend of different genres and storytelling elements. This complexity makes the characters and scenes relatable despite their otherworldly nature. Mykkas adds that Star Wars manages to uncover the universal aspects of these tropes and brings them to the forefront.

The Origins of Chewbacca’s Voice

According to Aaron Hemes in an article for Revelstoke Reviews in 2021, sound designer Ben Burtt, who made the sounds for most of the franchise titles, says that Chewbacca’s voice was entirely manufactured out of animal sounds — principally bears — and synchronized with the performance that is shot during filming (3).

Noting that Star Wars was initially shot before the era of AI and advanced audio tools, Burtt’s work on Chewbacca’s voice is outstanding.

References

1. Jason Cohen. “How to Watch the Star Wars Movies in Order.” PC Mag, June 4, 2024. | https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-watch-the-star-wars-movies-in-order
2. Kyle Makkas. “The worldwide appeal of Star Wars.” The Mass Media, November 13, 2020. | https://umassmedia.com/22107/art-lifestyle/the-worldwide-appeal-of-star-wars/
3. Aaron Hemens. “Morning Start: Chewbacca’s voice is a combination of different animals.” Revelstoke Reviews, May 4, 2021. | https://www.revelstokereview.com/news/morning-start-chewbaccas-voice-is-a-combination-of-different-animals-4294038#:~:text=According+to+Ben+Burtt%2C+who,lions%2C+badgers+and+other+animals.